Quantitative determination of the enantiomers of methadone and its metabolite (EDDP) in human saliva by enantioselective liquid chromatography with mass spectrometric detection

A sensitive enantioselective liquid chromatographic assay with mass spectrometric detection (LC-MS) has been developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of saliva concentrations of (R)- and (S)-methadone (Met) and (R)- and (S)-2-ethylidene-1,5-dimethyl-3,3-diphenyl-pyrrolidine (EDDP, a primary metabolite of Met). Saliva specimens were collected using Salivette devices (Sarsedt), and centrifuged; collected saliva was then spiked with deuterated internal standards, D3-Met and D3-EDDP, and directly injected into the LC-MS. Enantioselective separations were achieved on a liquid chromatographic chiral stationary phase (CSP) based upon immobilized alpha(1)-acid glycoprotein (AGP) using a mobile phase composed of acetonitrile: ammonium acetate buffer (10mM, pH 7.0) in a ratio of 18:82 (v/v), a flow rate of 0.9 ml/min and a temperature of 25 degrees C. Under these conditions, enantioselective separations were observed for methadone (alpha=1.30) and EDDP (alpha=1.17) within 15 min. Met, EDDP, D3-Met and D3-EDDP were detected using selected ion monitoring at m/z 310.20, 278.20, 313.20 and 281.20, respectively. Linear relationships between peak height ratio and drug-enantiomer concentrations were obtained for methadone in the range of 5.0-600.0 ng/ml, and for EDDP from 0.5 to 15.0 ng/ml per enantiomer with correlation coefficients better than 0.9994, where lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) for Met was 5 ng/ml and for EDDP 0.5 ng/ml. Acceptable intra- and inter-day precision of the method (CVs<4.0%) and accuracy (CVs<4.0%) were obtained. These findings demonstrate the accuracy and precision of the method used to successfully analyze saliva obtained from patients enrolled in a methadone-maintenance program.     

Synthesis and characterization of an immobilized phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase liquid chromatographic stationary phase

Norepinephrine is N-methylated to epinephrine by the catalytic effect of the terminal enzyme in catecholamine biosynthesis, phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PNMT). PNMT has been covalently immobilized onto a silica-based liquid chromatographic support, glutaraldehyde-P (Glut-P). The resulting PNMT-Glut-P stationary phase (PNMT-SP) was enzymatically active, stable, and reusable. Standard Michaelis-Menten kinetic studies were performed with both free and immobilized PNMT and known substrates and inhibitors were examined. The results demonstrate that the PNMT-SP can be utilized for the rapid screening of potential PNMT substrates as well as the screening of compounds for PNMT inhibitory activity.     

Determination of N-acetylator phenotype using caffeine as a probe compound: a comparison of high-performance liquid chromatography and capillary electrophoresis methods

A test for determining N-acetylator metabolic phenotype has been developed using caffeine as a probe drug. A spot sample of urine is taken, and the unextracted urine is then analysed by micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography. Phenotype is determined from the peak-area ratio of urinary 5-acetylamino-6-formylamino-3-methyluracil to 1-methylxanthine. Phenotype assignments using this method were compared with those made using a standard high-performance liquid chromatography assay, with good agreement between the two methods. The advantage of the capillary electrophoresis analysis is that no sample extraction is necessary, resulting in a total analysis time of around 20 min, and removing a potential source of error.     

Specific Biomarkers Are Associated with Docetaxeland Gemcitabine-Resistant NSCLC Cell Lines

Five-year survival rate for lung cancer is limited to 10% to 15%. Therefore, the identification of novel therapeutic prognostic factors is an urgent requirement. The aim of this study is thus to highlight specific biomarkers in chemoresistant non-small cell lung cancer cell lines. Therefore, we checked—in the control condition as well as after short-term pharmacological treatment with either docetaxel or gemcitabine—the expression of genes such as tumor suppressor genes (CDKN2A, DAPK, FHIT, GSTP1, MGMT, RARβ2, RASSF1A, and TIMP3), genes associated with drug resistance (BRCA1, COX2, ERCC1, IGFBP3, RRM1, and TUBB3), and stemness-related genes (CD133, OCT4, and SLUG) in two cellular models of squamous carcinoma (CAEP) and adenocarcinoma (RAL) of the lung originally established. Their promoter methylation profile was also evaluated. Drug-related genes were upregulated. Cisplatin resistance matched with high levels of BRCA1 and ERCC1 in both cell lines; docetaxel sensitivity of CAEP cells was associated to levels of TUBB3 lower than RAL cells. Although CAEP cells were more sensitive to gemcitabine, both cell lines showed high levels of RRM1. Stemness-related genes were downregulated in the control condition but became upregulated in docetaxel-resistant cells, indicating the selection of a population with stemness features. We did not find an unequivocal correspondence between gene expression and respective DNA promoter methylation status, suggesting the involvement of additional mechanisms of gene expression regulation. These results highlight specific biomarkers consistent with the different responses of the two cell lines to standard pharmacological treatments and indicate specific molecular traits for their chemoresistance.     

Interaction of ibogaine with human α3β4-nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in different conformational states

The interaction of ibogaine and phencyclidine (PCP) with human (h) α3β4-nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) in different conformational states was determined by functional and structural approaches including, radioligand binding assays, Ca²⁺ influx detections, and thermodynamic and kinetics measurements. The results established that (a) ibogaine inhibits (±)-epibatidine-induced Ca²⁺ influx in hα3β4 AChRs with ～9-fold higher potency than that for PCP, (b) [³H]ibogaine binds to a single site in the hα3β4 AChR ion channel with relatively high affinity (K_d = 0.46 ± 0.06 μM), and ibogaine inhibits [³H]ibogaine binding to the desensitized hα3β4 AChR with slightly higher affinity compared to the resting AChR. This is explained by a slower dissociation rate from the desensitized ion channel compared to the resting ion channel, and (c) PCP inhibits [³H]ibogaine binding to the hα3β4 AChR, suggesting overlapping sites. The experimental results correlate with the docking simulations suggesting that ibogaine and PCP interact with a binding domain located between the serine (position 6′) and valine/phenylalanine (position 13′) rings. This interaction is mediated mainly by van der Waals contacts, which is in agreement with the observed enthalpic contribution determined by non-linear chromatography. However, the calculated entropic contribution also indicates local conformational changes. Collectively our data suggest that ibogaine and PCP bind to overlapping sites located between the serine and valine/phenylalanine rings, to finally block the AChR ion channel, and in the case of ibogaine, to probably maintain the AChR in the desensitized state for longer time.     

Retrograde horseradish peroxidase tracing combined with localization of choline acetyltransferase immunoreactivity

Localization of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) immunoreactivity in rodent brain (AI Levey, DM Armstrong, SF Atweh, RD Terry, BH Wainer: J Neurosci 3 1, 1983) with a monoclonal antibody (Ab8) has been previously reported. Now a procedure for combining ChAT immunohistochemistry with retrograde tracing for the purpose of mapping cholinergic pathways is presented. Rats were injected with horseradish peroxidase-wheat germ agglutinin in the tongue and cerebral cortex. Sections from their perfusion-fixed brains were reacted with 3,3'-diaminobenzidine (DAB)/H2O2/cobalt acetate followed by ChAT localization with monoclonal antibody Ab8 using the peroxidase-antiperoxidase method and visualization using DAB/H2O2. Double-labeled cells were visualized with black punctate staining (retrograde tracer) on a diffuse brown cytoplasmic background (ChAT immunoreactivity) in the hypoglossal nucleus and ventral telencephalon (substantia innominata-nucleus basalis). Conditions of fixation, histochemistry, and immunohistochemistry that contribute to optimal resolution for this procedure are discussed.     

Enantioselective separation of cyclic chiral ketones and their corresponding diastereomeric alcohols by HPLC on chiral and chiral/chiral coupled stationary phases

Enantioselective HPLC methods have been developed for the resolution of (RS)-2-phenylcyclohexanone (compound 1) and (RS)-2-phenyltetrahydropyran-4-one (compound 4) and the diastereoselective and enantioselective separations of their respective cis- and trans-alcohols; reduction of compound 1 yields trans- and cis-2-phenyl-1-cyclohexanol (compounds 2 and 3, respectively) and reduction of compound 4 yields trans- and cis-2-phenyl-tetrahydropyran-4-ol (compounds 5 and 6, respectively). Compounds 1, 2, and 3 were stereochemically resolved using a chiral stationary phase (CSP) based upon amylose tris(3,5-dimethylphenyl carbamate) coated on 10 μm silica-gel (Chiralpak AD-CSP). Compounds 4, 5, and 6 were stereochemically resolved on a coupled column system where a column containing a CSP based upon cellulose tris(3,5-dimethylphenyl carbamate) coated on 5 μm silica (Chiralcel OD-H-CSP) was coupled in series to the AD-CSP. The strategy employed in the identification of the peaks in the respective chromatograms is also discussed in this presentation. Chirality 8:551–555, 1996. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.